Medical clinics hit by cyber attack, services disrupted, patients affected

TLDR:

• A cyber-security incident has partially crippled a network of local medical clinics in Barrie, affecting several facilities and dozens of doctors.
• The Barrie and Community Family Health Team (BCFHT) is working with external legal counsel and third-party cyber-security experts to contain and remediate the incident.

Several medical clinics in the Barrie area have been hit by a cyber-security incident, suspected to be a ransomware attack. The Barrie and Community Family Health Team (BCFHT) has confirmed the incident and is working with external legal counsel and cyber-security experts to investigate and resolve the issue. While the majority of their services are still operational, phone services are still being restored. The BCFHT has stated that they have no evidence to believe that patient information has been impacted and that their electronic medical records system was not affected. The investigation is ongoing, and updates will be provided on their webpage as new information becomes available.

The incident was discovered during the week of March 8, with the Barrie Police Service confirming that they have received a complaint and are investigating the matter. Ransomware attacks, like the one experienced by the medical clinics, are becoming more prevalent, and officials advise against paying any ransom. Meanwhile, another cyber-attack has been reported in Huntsville, although there is currently no evidence of compromised sensitive data. It remains unclear if the two incidents are related.